Cat Drank Water From A Bucket I Wash Clothes In

[bespokeness]

2 weeks ago I washed some clothes in laundry detergent in my bathroom in a bucket.

I rinsed out the bucket with clean water and left the bucket outside to dry.

This afternoon I took the bucket out to wash some sculptures I made.

I filled the bucket up with water and left it, to go and get my sculptures.

My cat went up to the bucket and drank some of water.

He is currently fine.
Showing no symptoms.

However I am worried that the bucket may have had some residue of the detergent.
He must have drank maybe half a glass of water or less.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, welcome!
Since you rinsed it then and whatever might have still been in the bucket was diluted from this afternoon's water, --although I'm not a vet I'm thinking he will be ok. Signs to look for would be vomiting, lethargy, that sort of thing.

 

[Caspers Human]

Nothing to worry about.

It was only laundry detergent and you rinsed the bucket.
Detergent gets diluted when you mix it with water before use. Rinsing removes anything that might have been left over. Any residue, left over, will be so diluted that it would be virtually undetectable. You'd have to send that bucket to a laboratory to have it analyzed in order to tell if there was any soap left over.

If the cat smelled or tasted anything in the water that he didn't like he wouldn't have drunk water from that bucket.

 

[IndyJones]

Only concern I would have is a bout of the runs.

Bond drank dirty aquarium water once and had bad runs for a day or so. It had been treated with Prime and Stability. Products safe for fish but obviously cause stomach upset in cats.

 

[Caspers Human]

Aquarium water is different. There are bacteria and other organic substances in aquarium water. (Fish waste, left over food and algae to name a few.) There might be additives in the water, as well.

It's completely different than a bucket that used to hold soapy water. Compared to that, drinking aquarium water would be like drinking directly from a mud puddle.

 

[IndyJones]

Bond is a kitten though and a very mouthy one at that so he puts everything in his mouth. I have to watch him constantly or he will try to bite or drink anything.

I lock him in the cat room now when I clean the fish tank.